VAT REfund in Italy
 

Hi,

My boss recently traveled to Rome, Italy. He bought merchandise and the merchants gave him the necessary documents for VAT refund. When he arrived the airport in Rome, they told him he had to get the documents stamped at the last departing airport before arriving the US (which was Munich). His flight from Rome to Munich was delayed. He barely made his connecting flight so he was unable to get the documents stamped. I wrote the global refund sites and they told me there was nothing that could be done unless he returns to Europe within 3 months. Do you know of any other way that he can get his documents stamped? Do you think the Italian Embassy in Washington, DC could help?

Thanks so much for your responses.
Lisa

Hi L,

It is highly likely that even if he had made the flight on time that his documents wouldn't have been stamped at Munich because he would have to show the goods to Customs.

It's possible that even if he did have the goods they wouldn't stamp them in Munich because they were purchased in Italy.

It's possible that even if they did stamp his documents in Munich, he wouldn't get his refund anyway.

It's highly unlikely that he will get the refund.

I'm still waiting for a VAT refund from 1987, although I am not holding my breath. :)

((I))

I believe there are VAT Tax-Free purchase scheme refunders in the US but i don't know their names - i suggest calling the Italian Embassy or Consulate and ask them about it.

I could be wrong, but I think he got bad advice in Rome.

We made exactly the same exit -- Rome, then Munich to the US -- and had everything done at the Rome airport. Also, I believe a previous poster is incorrect: you do not have to show the goods, just the receipts and paperwork.

BTW, there are locales throughout Italy that will give you your VAT refund on the spot (in US dollars if you have a US passport). No one has to go through the cumbersome system, though you still have to submit the paperwork at the airport.

I'm guessing your boss can kiss his VAT refund goodbye.

Thanks everyone. I guess he is out of luck. I contacted the German Embassy and they would have been happy to stamp the documents (until I told them it was Italian goods). I hope the Italian Embassy will be as easy. Hope is the key word there. :-)

Hi 999,

>you do not have to show the goods, just the receipts and paperwork.<

Customs agents can require you to show the goods. They do not always do so.

((I))

Based on my experience, Ira is correct. I had all goods eligible for VAT refund in my carry-on. The agent chose not to ask to see them.

BC

Customs in Paris stamped my VAT refund papers for purchases from Italy. They asked "Where are the goods?" and I indicated my carryon but they didn't ask to see them.

I have seen people in CDG opening their cases and showing the "goods" to the agents.

I was told in Italy,just a few weeks ago, that, yes, you can get your refund at specific offices in some towns (can't remember the name of the office, but it was something like TAX REFUND OFFICE!) but that it is less of a percentage then you get at the airport. Not a lot less, however. Maybe about 3-4% less. Next time I will do that because the airport system in Italy is a mini-hell. There is a wealth of misinformation throughout Europe about how to get the tax refunded, so I am not surprised that your boss had that problem. That's a shame. It can be a considerable sum with what things cost there.

I wonder if bargaining with the shop works - don't charge the tax to begin with and i'll pay a bit more - makes it easier for both - i've heard that can work but it may be yet more misinformation.

ira et al.: I think I do remember a customs agent asking about the goods. My answer on three separate trips was "in my baggage," and they never inquired further. So maybe it's true that the law says you have to show them, but I doubt it happens in the real world.

As far as refund offices go: We went to a regular banking facility (I think it was Thomas Cook) that was authorized to do VAT refunds. THERE WAS NO COMMISSION CHARGE. We got the money in full on the spot. But as I said in a previous post, you still have to hand in the paperwork at the aiport.

Just curious: Why would you have to hand in the paperwork at the airport if you already have your refund?

JaneRebecca, the OP does not state her boss already had the refund. Yes, there are other VAT refund points. I swear I saw VAT being refunded at the AMEX office in Piazza di Spagna once, but I'm not sure if that's a service for AMEX cardholders only. There's also a Global Refund office near the Pantheon/Piazza Navona area.

BC

Hi Bookchick;
I was responding to two other responses not the OP. But thanks for the info.

All this talk is making me long for more travel. I don't think I'll ever be cured!

Jane

He is not returning to Italy or any other EU country any time soon so my only choice or hope is somewhere in the US. I have left messages and faxes at the Italian embassy with no luck. I will look into the suggestion of Thomas Cook. Everyone on this site is so kind and helpful. Thank you so much.

Couple of comments:

i've just dug out the refund envelope from our recent trip to Italy. It says right on it to first "Go To Customs. Show your purchases, still unused, to European Union Customs and have your TaxFree form stamped. Please remember: NO EU CUSTOMS STAMP = NO REFUND"

They list a number of refund offices in various countries but I believe that you need the magic stamp before those offices can process your refund.

Our experience was quite interesting. We had a direct flight and arrived at the Rome Airport 3 hours early. We found the EU customs office but the large sign on the door said that you had to come with 1. your refund form 2. your boarding card 3. your passport 4. the goods. So we lined up for an hour to get our boarding cards, but couldn't drop the luggage as we had to have the goods. So then we hauled all our luggage back to the EU office. We were about 4th in line and there were 2 agents working. We were a little nervous as we were two couples and in order to save on the tax in several circumstances one couple had made purchases for everyone at once and we were a little apprehensive about how to explain that in our limited Italian. We became even more anxious as we observed the one female agent absolutely interrogating the couple she was dealing with who had obviously spent alot. She had all of their suitcases open and would shriek "PRADA! Show me the Prada!" "AND THE SHOES! WHERE ARE THE SHOES!" Then a little while later "AND GUCCI! WHERE IS THE GUCCI! SHOW ME THE GUCCI!" and these people had to sift through their copious luggage to show each and every item. Thankfully she was still busy with them when it became our turn and the man who helped us quickly stamped our forms and didn't ask to see the goods. Whew!

Then we had to take our luggage back to the counter to go on the belt to go on the plane.

Then we crossed security. Then we had to line up at the REfund Office (by the gates) to have the stamped form processed.

All of this took over 2hours! I would also suggest that your boss perhaps got bad advice. I would think that you would have to deal with it in Italy where the goods were purchased.

For what it's worth, I did receive the refund this week. Took about 4 weeks. But it came!

Hi PB,

>I wonder if bargaining with the shop works - don't charge the tax to begin with and i'll pay a bit more ...<

That's illegal in every country in the world.

However, in Italy it could work. :)

((I))

Actually a few years ago we did get a VAT refund without our items stamped by customs. We did try to get the stamp in Italy and the agent told us it had to be done in England at the end of our vacation. There was a huge line for check in at Gatwick and we didn't have time to stop at customs. Since we purchased some expensive items I tried it anyways by making a copy of our passports with the immigration stamp plus our flight stubs. It did work out for us surprisingly but I don't know how many other stories there are like ours.